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BIPOC in Cannabis ft. Guy Rocourt of Papa and Barkley and the Launch of P&B Kitchen

BIPOC in Cannabis ft. Guy Rocourt of Papa and Barkley and the Launch of P&B Kitchen

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Papa & Barkley released a new line of infused edibles like no other out there. The launch of P&B Kitchen was celebrated in April 2022 and the buzz is loud and with good reason! With a passionate co-founder and CEO like Guy Rocourt, it’s no surprise that the new brand under the Papa & Barkley umbrella: P&B Kitchen, is making noise. 

Solventless hash gummies and rosin chocolates with bold and crave-able flavors; P&B Kitchen gave vegans a level of gummies we didn’t know could be achieved and gave chocolate lovers options not yet seen anywhere in cannabis. The options offered by P&B Kitchen are a beautiful collaboration of nature’s candy- plants.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Guy with the help of Erin Patrice of the Breaking Bread Village to learn all about him as a BIPOC man in cannabis, his journey through Papa & Barkley, and the launch of P&B Kitchen. The Q & A below is supported by a video interview that readers can tap into to learn even more about Guy, his passions, and Papa & Barkley. But first, here’s a bit of background. 

About Papa and Barkley

Papa & Barkley was founded by Guy Rocourt and Adam Grossman and is headquartered in Eureka, CA- Humboldt County. The company’s mission is to: unlock the power of cannabis to improve people’s lives and in line with that mission, they offer a diverse product line of CBD, THC, and CBN products; they also offer a range of concentrates, topicals, tinctures, capsules and of course- edibles. Papa & Barkley says:

We believe the most effective products come from honoring the plant as nature intended. That means we don’t use harmful chemicals in our solventless process, and we maintain the integrity of the whole plant to get the most benefits.”

Today, the company has about 107 employees, and in the interview, Guy shouts out his human resources department and finance departments. He says: “People are the hard part of starting a business and HR and finance hold that part down for the company.” 

About Papa & Barkley CEO: Guy Rocourt

Guy (pronounced Ghee), is originally from NYC, went to high school in Queens (“right off the 7 train”), and was introduced to cannabis in high school. He had access to cannabis, and consumed it but didn’t feel the effects. After high school, he went off to the military, got a scholarship to college, and was reintroduced to cannabis by a group of friends that Guy describes as “very kind and green people”.

He earned his degree in film and earned it while consuming cannabis to treat stress, and did so throughout his career in film as an Assistant Director. His passion and experience with cannabis led him to start cultivating cannabis and that’s when decisions had to be made- cultivate or have my face out there as an advocate? Guy says: “I chose to grow- which made me a little bit of an outlaw.”  Later, an opportunity to cultivate legally in Colorado came through, and that was his entry into the legal cannabis industry. 

Guy is passionate about the whole plant, more than isolating specific cannabinoids. When I met him at the National Cannabis Festival, his passion for healing the Earth with cannabis could be felt- as if the ground was slightly vibrating. Guy would love to see a world where we replace harsh oils, subsidize corn, and encourage those growers to grow hemp. 

Guy says: “wellness and cannabis are great but, the plant’s true value is totality: food, shelter, medicine; that’s the power of cannabis that Papa & Barkley is trying to unlock.”

Photo credit: Cannabinoid Connect

 

Guy Rocourt and Papa & Barkley

Guy’s role with Papa & Barkley started as Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer. He is now the Co-Founder and  CEO of all brands under the P&B umbrella. Guy discusses the journey to P&B starting in CO. He shares that they were denied lots of access and resources initially, but a few years later, he met business partner Adam Grossman (co-founder) who treated his dad (story on the P&B site) with cannabis while he was in hospice. Guy shared:

“Adam used to soak cannabis flower in coconut oil and rubbed it on his dad’s body. Later his dad was released from hospice and lived long enough to see us launch Papa & Barkley.”

For Guy and Adam, that was the “aha” moment! Guy says: “Cannabis has always been plant-based medicine, in your grandma’s kitchen remedies, no technology; that’s what we have been advocating for the whole plant.”

Q & A with P&B CEO: Guy Rocourt

Dispensaries and social spaces: are more of those launching in California and/or other states?

“More locations are coming. The plan with the Humboldt Social joint venture is to attach that venture to other dispensaries so that people have a place to consume. P&B isn’t in the business of dispensaries; we are focused on awesome products. Scotia Inn is also a part of Humboldt Social and they will have a spa there for full-on infused treatments. 

P&B dispensary is curated which I encourage all dispensaries to do. In the P&B dispensary, only P&B products and products by women-led farms will be found. Women have always grown cannabis. The men were the face, they were in the streets, but back home, who was growing and taking care of the plants? Women.”

Sugar-free and whole plants: was Papas and Barkley the first to make a sugar-free, whole plant edible; what was the inspiration for that?

“Yes, the first. The inspiration was the people; the industry needs artisans. Montel Williams was in my ear saying things like: ‘patients are getting left behind. We stumbled but we were trying to do something miraculous with solventless. We got the recipe down though! So many folks need cannabis and none of that extra in their diet. We are solventless, toxic-free, fair trade, and use sustainable packaging.” 

Photo Credit: Papa and Barkley

Artisanal Edibles: P&B Kitchen offers artisanal edibles; what was the inspiration behind this launch, who are these products for, and who’s behind the recipes/creations?

“We needed an edible brand for lifestyle. P&B had products to get the cannabis conversation going, but we needed something for the connoisseur, someone that understands terpene flavors and trichomes, we wanted something for them. 

The name P&B Kitchen came from the Senior VP of Marketing- shout out to Cassie Perlman. All the products are created with ice water hash. Humboldt native Jonah Ginsburg created our chocolate formulas and our connectionist Lindsay Hurley developed the gummies. 

The product line offers chocolate bars- dark chocolate and milk chocolate rosin bars:, that are filled with bold flavor combinations:  salted almond, coconut caramel, raspberry quinoa crunch, and mango macadamia nut. We also have these incredible caramel-filled chocolates. The gummy flavors are watermelon chili, pineapple ginger, lychee, and sour peach.” 

Products and availability: where can these products be found?

“Our THC products can be found in California, and of course at the P&B dispensary in Humboldt County. Our CBD products, which are created with flowers grown in Vermont, can be found on our site. Under the Papa & Barkley umbrella, there’s a product for everyone.”

In Closing

Check out the video interview with Guy Rocourt to learn more about Papa & Barkley, what’s coming, and some insight into Guy’s perspective on the cannabis the plant and cannabis the industry; like why there is a lack of Sativa on the market, why they cost more, and perspective on people of color in cannabis and life.

This column is a community and so, we are open to hearing from you! If there are people, places, and causes that need to be covered, related to BIPOC in Cannabis, let us know in the comments. Readers should also subscribe to the MJ News Network to stay in the know and not miss the release of a new article/headline. 

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Veronica Castillo is a writer from Miami, with a pre-cannabis and psychedelics background in insurance and human resources. Currently, she is a resident of the road covering cannabis, psychedelics, and plant-based lifestyles all over the U.S and soon abroad. Follow her journey on IG: www.instagram.com/v2_traveling_veg_canna_writer and/or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vee-traveling-veg-canna-writer/ 

Feature Photo Credit: Papa and Barkley

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